Adjustable masonry line block



June 19, 1962 A. J. LITTY ADJUSTABLE MASONRY LINE BLOCK Filed Dec. 3,1958 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

ANTHONY J. LITTY BY United States Patent 0."

Filed Dec. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 777,917 1 Claim. (Cl. 33-85) This inventionrelates to masons line holders whereby a line used as a guide in layingbrick and building blocks is retained taut, and in particular a pair ofclamps, each including a pair of sections slidably connected to providea bar and with each section having a depending flange at the end with athumb screw threaded in the flange of one section to provide a C-clampand in which line retaining means is provided on the flange of the othersection, whereby with a pair of the holders clamped in position onpreviously laid end bricks or blocks a line extended between the holdersis retained in tension as intermediate bricks or blocks are laid.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a masons line holder that isformed to be clamped in position on the upper edge of a wall, and thatis readily adjustable to walls of different thicknesses.

Various types of supports have been provided for lines used as guides tofacilitate laying brick and building blocks and substantially all ofsuch supports are adjustable for walls of different sizes; however, inthe most common of such supports adjusting screws are provided in theends, and where one wall is six inches wide and another twelve incheswide the adjusting screws are not sufficient, and when supports areformed with two L-shaped elements slidably connected by screws or boltsit is necessary to hold the elements tight against the sides of, thebricks or blocks with one hand as the screws or bolts are tightened withthe other. Such devices, therefore, are not universally used.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a clamp includingtwo L-shaped elements with a tongue of one element slidably mounted in asocket of the other element and secured in adjusted positions in thesocket by a thumb screw and in which extended ends of both elements areprovided with depending flanges that grip side surfaces of bricks orblocks for securing a masons line in position on a wall.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a masons linesupporting clamp that is readily adjusted to walls of different sizesand that is rigidly clamped in position on a wall.

Another object of the invention is to provide a masons line holder thatis readily secured in position on bricks or blocks of a wall.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a holder for amasons line which is rigidly clamped in position so that the line doesnot become slack in use.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a masons lineholder in which the holder is first clamped to a brick or block andafter being secured in position a line is attached thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a line block that issecured in position on a wall without Wrenches, screw drivers or othertools.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a masons lineholder or line block that is readily adjustable to walls of differentthicknesses and that is clamped in position by a thumb screw in whichthe device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies an elongated plate having a socket on one side and a flangeextended from the opposite end, a bar slidable in the socket and havinga flange on the extended end, a thumb screw threaded in the socket andpositioned to grip the bar therein, a thumb screw threaded Patented June19, 1 962 in the flange of the bar and positioned to clamp the holder ona brick, block, or wall, and a pair of diverging rods on the face of theflange of the plate for holding an end of a line.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the im-' proved line blockor masons line holder.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the masons line holder asused upon a cement or cinder block wall.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theabove-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merelyfor the purpose of illustration, and that various changes inconstruction may be resorted'to in the course of manufacture in orderthat the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according tocircumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from thespirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only inaccordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated theprimary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that itmay be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be foundapplicable.

In the accompanying drawings and in the following specification the samereference characters are used to designate the same parts and elementsthroughout, and in which the numeral 10 refers to the invention in itsentirety, numeral 12 indicating a flat bar or plate having a block '14on one end and a flange 16 depending from the opposite end, numeral 18indicating a tongue or square bar slid-able in a socket 2G in the block14 and having a flange 22 depending from the extended end, numeral 24 anadjusting screw for clamping the device upon a brick, block, or wall,numeral 26 a thumb screw threaded in the block 14 and positioned toengage the bar 18 for securing the elements in adjusted positions,numeral 28 a spacer secured to the inner surface of the flange 16 andspaced downwardly from the upper end to provide a groove 30 forreceiving a line 32, and numerals 34 and 36 ends of a rod 38 secured tothe outer surface of the flange 16 to provide means for tying a line tothe flange.

The adjusting screw 24 is threaded in the flange 22., and the inner endis provided with a friction washer 40 that is positioned to grip thesurface of a wall or block with the parts positioned as shown in FIGURE2. The outer end of the adjusting screw 24 is provided with a bar 42 tofacilitate turning the screw. The thumb screw 26 is also provided with abar 44 to facilitate gripping the screw for locking the parts inadjusted positions.

The spacer 28 is formed by a plate, the thickness of which is slightlymore than the diameter of a masons line, and the plate is secured to theinner surface of the flange 16 by welding or the like. The rod 38 isalso secured to the outer surface of the flange by welding or the like.

Operation With the parts assembled as illustrated and described theholder is positioned on the upper edge, of a wall, or on bricks, blocks,or the like previously placed on ends of a wall and with the flangesadjusted to be extended over a wall as shown in the drawing, the screw26 is actuated to grip the bar 18 and the screw 24 actuated to clamp thedevice on the wall. With the line holder clamped in position a line isthreaded through the groove 30 at the upper end of the spacer 28 and theend of the line is secured to the bar or rod 38.

The line holder is rigidly clamped in position whereby the line remainstaut continuously as bricks or bloc-ks are laid on the wall. The deviceis readily removed and positioned on an upper layer as construction of awall progresses.

From the foregoing specification it will become apparent that theinvention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for whichit has been designed and in an economical manner, and that itssimplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide arelatively inexpensive device, considering what it will accomplish, andthat it will -find an important place in the art to which it appertainswhen once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size, and arrangement of details and parts such ascome within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to inactual practice, if desired.

Having now described the invention that which is claimed to be new anddesired to be procured by Letters Patent is:

In a masonry line holder, the combination which comprises a flat bar ofrigid construction having a block integral with and extended upwardlyfrom one end and having an integral flange depending from the oppositeend, the flange being positioned to engage the surface of a wall withthe flat bar resting upon the upper surface of the wall, said blockbeing substantially square in crosssection and having an opening thereinof similar configuration contiguous with the upper surface of said flatbar, a second bar substantially square in cross-section of rigidconstruction and having a depending flange integral with one endextended through the opening of the block, said second bar beingpositioned in contactual sliding relation with said flat bar whereby thedepending flange on said second bar is parallel to the surface of thewall upon the upper surface of which the flat bar is positioned, anadjusting screw threaded in the flange depending from an end of saidsecond bar, a thumb screw threaded in the upper portion of the block andpositioned to engage and clamp said second bar in the block, a spacerpositioned on the inner surface of the flange depending from the flatbar, the upper edge of the spacer being spaced downwardly from the undersurface of the flat bar providing a line receiving groove at theintersection of the flat bar and flange depending therefrom, and a rodhaving outwardly extended ends providing means for tying a masons lineto the holder extended from the outer surface of the flange dependingfrom said flat bar.

Cordier Oct. 15, 1957

